yo,
Assuming tire/wheel was balanced on a Hunter mcahine or =
Here is the skinny;
"Death wobbles" are caused by two main factors; loose or incorrect front-end alignment parts and large out of round or imbalanced tires. Assuming your tires are still in balance, not full of dirt clods and you don't have a bent rim, here is what I look for when experiencing "death wobbles" on the following rigs. *Note: Always have your rig on level ground with motor off prior to doing any vehicle inspection! One thing to remember - a steering stabilizer or two may get rid of the death wobbles, but will not fix the problem that is causing the wobbles. I have personally run 44" tires on all my rigs for the past 21 years and have been able to run without a steering stabilizer once the root cause was corrected. Of course if you need any of the following suggested parts we will be glad to provide them for you. Read on to see how to diagnose: coil sprung, leaf sprung, and independent front suspensions. Bronco's & Ford ½ tons I'm going to assume that the rig by this time has already had someone install the 14 piece urethane bushing kit in the front end trying to remedy some of the death wobbles. If not install a kit and look for the following as you do it. 1st thing on
early broncos is to get a friend to rock the wheel (with the motor off) back and forth about a 1/3rd of a turn. Look at the track rod from the frame to the axle (mounted just behind the steering box) Are the bolts holding the track-rod mounting bracket loose? Is the bushing in either end of the track rod worn? Are the holes for the track rod bolts in good shape, or are they egg shaped so that even when the bolts are tight they can be forced back and forth? FIX --> To correct this quick and easy, weld a washer that fits tight on the bolt to the front side of the bracket and weld the nut to the back side. Is the large bolt in the front end housing wobbling with the steering wheel? FIX --> by welding the bolt head back to bracket, or buy a tapered bolt kit, (for cast mountings) and install. 2nd Check the steering box bolts, are they loose? Look for chipped paint or rust rings around the bolts, better yet just go ahead and retorque them now, you will probably get a full turn out of them. If they do not tighten to a firm stop... FIX by installing new solid sleeves between frame rails. The early Bronco's had sleeves in the frame but they were a split design and crush open after awhile.
4th Check all the tie rod ends for end play. With the wheel-rocking trick, start at the pitman arm, there should be no motion between the arm and the drag link, or the drag link to the tie rod, or the tire rod to the steering arms. Replace and align as required. 5th Place the front end on jack stands, then grasp the tire at top and bottom and alternately pull and push the tires with opposite hands. If the tire moves more than 1/16" either the upper and lower ball joints need to be replaced or the wheel bearings need adjustment, or in a worse case scenario the spindle is cracking or the spindle bolts are lose. 6th Check the caster
Finding loose parts is best accomplished by having a friend (MOTOR OFF!) Rock the steering wheel back and forth about a 1/3 of a turn at 1 second intervals with the vehicle sitting on the ground, in park or 1st gear with Emergency brake set, while you crawl underneath and check for relative motion on every suspension connection and steering component..."
by Carl J at jantzengineering.com
miesk5 Note, I omitted some info from Carl's article, so see it all @
http://www.jantzengineering.com/var/cw/148688/1137030-Death%20Wobbles.pdf
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DIY TTB Alignment Procedures & Tips; "...Prior to doing any alignment verify wheel bearings, ball joints and tie rods are not loose. And don't look at the factory alignment specs; these are for stock tires, on stock rims, at stock ride height. Toe-in is the easiest to adjust and has the most to do with how your tires wear. Most people adjust it 1st but remember changing camber will effect it a lot and caster changes can effect it as well, so it should be set close prior to setting camber and caster then reset after all other adjustments are made..." READ MORE
Source: by Carl J at
http://www.jantzengineering.com/var/cw/148688/1137039-4x4%20Alignment.pdf
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a condition known as "recession steer" may be encountered. A left drift or pull that occurs while braking but produces no torque or pull in the steering wheel may be caused by the left radius arm front pivot bushings. It is important to make sure the pull isn't due to a sticky brake caliper or contaminated brake linings. If the brakes appear to be working normally but there is a definite pull to the left when braking, the radius arm pivot bushings need to be replaced. Ford says it is okay to reuse the original nylon rear bushing spacer and rear bushing unless excessive wear is found. Torque the radius arm nuts to 80-120 lb. ft. Toe should be also be checked and reset to 1/32 inch toe-in. If a pull still exists after replacing the radius arm pivot bushings, many aftermarket manufacturers sell offset radius arm bushings which allow you to change caster to eliminate the pull..."
Source: by Larry C
Front End Wander Front end wander is a condition that is noticed when the vehicle is driven in a straight ahead position with the wheel held in a firm position, but the vehicle wanders to either the right or left side. Front end alignment should be checked before any gear service is made.
NOTE: Front end alignment and tire pressures should be checked before any gear service is performed.
Possible Source(s):
* Gear box loose on frame.
Action(s) to Take:
* Check mounting bolts for damage and replace if required. If no damage is found, tighten bolts to 73-90 N-m (54-66 ft-lb).
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I have more Steering Info LINKs in my site @
http://www.broncolinks.com/index.php?index=45
Pleae post your Bronco's year, Engine/Tranny/Xfer Case type and any major mods incl the lift and tires, etc. in your profile so we can give you better replies in da future..
btw, my sis is a Linda too! I used to teae her a lot by calling her Lin-Dutes
I still do!
)
